Some drivers desire a higher or lower ride of their vehicles. Adjustable suspension components have been developed to allow drivers to raise or lower their vehicles as desired. One type of adjustable suspension assembly that has been developed is a hydraulic adjustable suspension system. The hydraulic system generally has hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic pumps and valves wherein the pumps direct fluids into the cylinders to raise the vehicle and the valves release fluids from the cylinders to lower the vehicle. However, these hydraulic systems may have complicated, cumbersome, and a large number of parts and components. These hydraulic systems are typically expensive and at times may not be very reliable due to the large number of interrelated parts and components.
Other adjustable suspension systems were developed such as air bag systems. Air bags are much less expensive than hydraulic systems, and they are typically much easier to install than hydraulic systems. The air bags are configured to replace coil springs, leaf springs, and/or torsion bars for non-strut vehicles (i.e. vehicles with shock absorbers and coil/leaf springs). The trend is that most vehicles use struts rather than the conventional shock absorber/spring suspension systems. However, the air bag systems are not configured to be used with strut vehicles (i.e. vehicles equipped with struts). Therefore, these air bags are limited to being mounted and used only on non-strut vehicles. For example, the strut assembly has a shock component that is typically mounted within a coil spring, and it is very difficult or is not possible or practical to adapt an air bag for use in an existing strut assembly since in order to replace the coil spring with the air bag, the air bag would have to be configured to allow the shock component to go through the air bag or the shock component would have to be offset a distance from the air bag.
Therefore, the present invention discloses and provides an air bag variable height adjustment system that replaces a strut assembly for a vehicle, and the present air bag system overcomes the problems, disadvantages, and limitations of the prior art.